Born with a damaged heart, Leanna Weston has lived a sheltered life with little chance at adventure. When she hears that Finvarra's Circus is coming to her small town, she sneaks off to witness the magic first hand, sure that this is her only chance at experiencing true magic-even if the frightening rumors about the heartless Ringmaster, Finvarra, are true. Caught by Finvarra, Leanna is given one chance at survival: she must join the circus. As slowly she becomes part of the strange family, Leanna learns that there is more than magic to this circus, but an ancient curse that has tied Finvarra's life to its rings. If the circus fails, he dies. Leanna vows to save the circus, but when a ruthless enemy emerges, set on destroying it and Finvarra, will Leanna be able to save them both, or will her broken heart fail her just when she needs it most? Cover Artist: Lisa Rhodes

***Winner of the Wattys 2016 for Hidden Gems*** The Edgewise exists everywhere and nowhere. A sanctuary to all realms, should you find the door. Managed by one Macklemore Edgewise, proprietor, guardian of the between places, and barman of mystery. If the tavern accepts you, abide by the rules. 1. Leave all conflicts outside. 2. No murdering one another. Occasional maiming and righteous wounding exempt. 3. Never leave the door open. There's no telling what will sneak in. Cover art by Krazydiamond

**Wattys 2016 Winner!** Fifteen-year-old Emmeline Jefferson doesn't have time away from the Demons. Not a minute to say goodbye to her family, not a moment to wonder "Why me?" Every second she's not possessed is spent begging stranger after stranger for help. But no one believes a sporadic girl who claims Demons have spent more time in her body than she has. No one until she finds Dumaine. Dumaine Chartres's whole life fits in his accordion case, his friends are nonexistent, and this fascinating girl is telling him Demons exist. These things all make perfect sense. What he doesn't understand is why humans have such outrageous issues with murder. Death is natural. If he wasn't supposed to kill anyone, they wouldn't have died. Nobody even noticed the bodies anyway. In return for a break from his internal demons, Dumaine offers Emmeline help, and she's willing to receive it from anyone. Maybe this boy can finally be the keeper she needs. Maybe chasing these Demons can explain why he's so different from everyone else. Maybe this friendship can work. With a wise but demented old man, and enough determination to perturb the Demons, Emmeline and Dumaine concoct a plan to unriddle their lives. The first step is to confront the Demon's creator. But something else seems to have found the creator first. And it only looks like an Angel. Human Spines is part one of a YA dark Urban Fantasy written in a style similar to Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me and Elana Johnson's Possession. It's the first of a series and told from the viewpoints of Emmeline, Dumaine, and their rambling but wise navigator, Hans. Through a diverse cast, it explores themes of learned distrust, fear of the unknown, and the battle against the evil inside us all, in a way similar to a Studio Ghibli film. Cover by ecclesia-

Samuel Brandt woke up with his thoughts written all over his body. His brother woke up with his head missing. His sister woke up to find that her skin would crack open unless she stayed in water. All of the other children in the secluded Iowa town of Oak Knoll woke up having undergone strange transformations. Now, they are all forced to live at 407 West Marshall Street, the mysterious house outside of town. With the new name of The Boy with Words for Skin, Samuel wants nothing more than to hide from his new life. He painfully and unpredictably sheds his skin, there is a Voice in the entryway closet that is often cruel, and-perhaps worst of all for a naturally shy boy-the other children look to him as a leader. As his seven-year-old brother struggles with their new life, as terrifying growls start to come from the pitch black basement, and as his feelings for a girl begin to grow, The Boy with Words for Skin realizes that he wants to change. He wants to put others first, learn from his peers, and let himself hope that things will get better. The Boy with Words for Skin is the first book in the 407 West Marshall Street series. Each book will advance the story but be told from a different character. Book 2 will be The Girl without Eyes.

What if everything you knew about yourself was a lie? Mildred "Mills" Millhatten had a good life: close-knit family, fantastic friends, decent grades and even a not-totally-annoying kid brother. You might say it was the best kind of ordinary. So nothing could have prepared her for being taken and cast into a strange, vicious world that she didn't know existed and has little hope of understanding. As a Bleeder - one whose lifeblood feeds the Nosferatu - her continued survival hangs ever in the balance. The creatures are keeping her alive because they believe her blood has mystical properties. Mills fears what will happen when they realize they are wrong. If she hopes to survive and discover who she truly is, she needs an ally. She needs to befriend the mysterious boy who's been secretly visiting her cell, even though he's destined to become a bloodthirsty monster. Because she lives in their world now, and if she doesn't do something fast, she's going to die in it too.

Artemis Rhodes had been working a shift at her minimum-wage waitressing job when two unfairly attractive patrons handed her a flyer inscribed with only a phone number. They told her a better job awaited her, and they left a generous tip. A promise. An English degree and school debt equivalent to half a house haunted Artemis more than any real ghost she'd never seen. After all, as an over-qualified waitress with her rented room in the city, alone, watching Netflix, ghosts were rarely a problem, but bills were downright damning. At least, until she dialed the number and spoke to Michelle, an owner of two businesses: ghost-hunting, and The Secret Hotel, an upscale companion service that catered privately to actors, politicians, entrepreneurs, and anyone with money. The two men Artemis served were not only part of the ghost-hunting team, but also companions. The job of Michelle's personal assistant would end the fear of bills, but bring the supernatural into her life like never before, beginning with an illegally kept ghost named Skylar who protected the companions from ill-mannered clientele. As an Empath, every sound and every glimpse of naked flesh, even the sensation of lust in the air, consumes her. But she can also connect with ghosts and become a prime member of the hunting team. She has a chance to conquer her fears of the world, of herself, and to let others conquer her in ways she never knew she wanted-as long as they survive their ghost-hunting missions. (For ages 18+. Contains mature content.) ♦ Completed! ♦ [Copyright © 2015 Sarah Godfrey & Victoria DeRubeis] Check back on our Tumblr for updates on the sequel: http://sarahandvictoria.tumblr.com/ Or just check out our Secret Hotel tag for other art and things: http://sarahandvictoria.tumblr.com/tagged/the+secret+hotel Also, check out the super sweet swag store where you can get original art on fancy things like mugs and bags and shirts: http://www.redbubble.com/people/sandv

"Who will we send after the little witch?" The room went silent as one of them stood up from her throne, pacing forward. Her skirts flowed over the marble floors as silently as a whisper. Every eye was drawn to her. "I will go after her and make her my slave." She revealed flawless white teeth in a playful smile. "It will be fun. Like a game." The other Gods relaxed, confident that Alice Cunningham didn't stand a chance. After all, no one could resist Aphrodite.

Headless bodies start appearing in the streets, so cunning Detective Rashida Heyes and her partner have to stop the killer to prevent the apocalypse ***** After bodies start appearing in the middle of the streets, hollowed and headless, Detective Rashida Heyes and her partner, Travis Virgil, are given the case. However, once they dig deeper, meeting the emotionally broken Victor Eccelstone, and realize how heavily the church is involved, Rashida has to acknowledge that this case might be bigger than she had ever imagined. These crimes aren't the act of one man - they're the beginning of the end of the world [[Winner of the 2017 Wattys Storysmith Award]] [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

Sophie Green calls the shots in sex and love as both her childhood nemesis, Shawn Henderson, and the mysterious new heartthrob, Landon Pearce, vie for her romantic attention. But when she discovers that she's the target of a secret world of monsters, can she keep her life under control? ***** Sophie is so anti-social she can barely stand other human beings, so she definitely draws the line at non-human entities like gryphons and dragons, especially when it comes to dating. But when tragedy hits, Sophie's whole world shatters and she's left with a choice: face the painful truths of life, or leave her humanity behind forever. If she wants to be the boss of her own fate, Sophie will have to learn to tell apart the mess in her heart from the madness of a world where monsters are real. [[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren T